Meanwhile, ABS slaughter data for March revealed the toll the drought is taking on female cattle numbers which will seriously hamper the ability of Australian producers to rebuild their herds when good seasons return.

In March the female portion of the adult cattle kill rose to 58.1pc, the highest level ever recorded.

On a 12-month rolling average basis, the figure also set a new record at 52.6pc.

Australian beef exports to China jumped a whopping 62pc year-on-year in April to 20,600 tonnes, a hike Meat and Livestock Australia attributed partly to ASF along with growing demand for premium imported meat in wealthy Chinese households.

In contrast, MLA said exports to Japan totalled 22,100 tonnes in April, back 19pc year-on-year.

Shipments to the US lifted 12pc year-on-year, to 21,600 tonnes on the back of strong demand for grinding beef in the US.

Total beef exports for the year ending April climbed 10pc to 1.163 million tonnes with shipments to China soaring by 58pc to 191,395 tonnes with the potential for sales to keep increasing.

For the calendar year to April, Australian beef exports to China rose by 66pc to 72,460 tonnes compared with 87,800 tonnes to Japan (down 7pc) and 79,500 tonnes to the US (up 15pc).

Export market analyst, Simon Quilty, Wangaratta, Vic, said New Zealand was diverting more beef from the US to China with shipments down 25pc year-to-date which had caused a shortage of lean imported meat in America.

Mr Quilty said imported lean beef was now selling for a premium in the US but the high price might also encourage larger imports of cheaper South American meat.

He said China was also trying to buy South American meat with Brazil and Uruguay each grabbing a 22pc share of the China beef import market in January, followed by Argentina (21pc), Australia (17pc) and NZ (14pc).

Mr Quilty also said there were reports of the US cattle herd entering into a liquidation phase in either 2020 or 2021 which would add pressure on prices of imported beef.

"The buying tentacles and influence of China on the global market lately just doesn't seem to be going away," he said.